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Letalys edited this page Sep 20, 2026 · 2 revisions

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Target architectures

A preconfigured target architecture describes a target: the folder of each system, what its emulator reads, where covers go and the metadata file. You pick it in the rebase window.

The eight default architectures

Architecture For Metadata Covers
ArkOS / dArkOS (selected by default) Anbernic handhelds and clones running ArkOS or dArkOS gamelist.xml in each system folder images\<game>-image.png
RetroArch / Lakka RetroArch alone, or Lakka None Not copied by default
Batocera / Knulli Batocera, Knulli and derivatives gamelist.xml in each system folder images\<game>-image.png
EmulationStation / RetroPie Original EmulationStation and RetroPie gamelist.xml in each system folder images\<game>-image.png
ES-DE ES-DE on PC or Android ES-DE\gamelists\<system>\gamelist.xml ES-DE\downloaded_media\<system>\covers
Cocoon (Android) Cocoon frontend ES-DE layout ES-DE layout
Onion / Miyoo Mini Onion OS on Miyoo Mini and Mini Plus miyoogamelist.xml Imgs, 250 × 360
Anbernic OS stock Stock firmware of the RG35XX and RG40XX None Imgs, 300 × 300

Only the ArkOS / dArkOS architecture was validated on a device, see Limitations. A report through an issue is welcome.

ES-DE and Cocoon: metadata and covers are written to an ES-DE folder at the root of the destination, to be merged with the ES-DE folder of the device.

The architecture editor

Architecture editor

The editor opens with Manage architectures… in the rebase window, or with Edit preconfigured architectures… in the Settings.

A default architecture can be edited like the others. A Custom badge marks the ones you created, a dot those with unsaved changes.

  • Duplicate copies the displayed architecture
  • Delete removes the architecture and its file, default architectures included
  • Restore default architectures puts the eight default architectures back to their original state. Custom architectures are left alone
  • Save writes every modified architecture

General

Label and Description appear in the rebase window. The Identifier names the file of the architecture.

Hidden folder for multi-file games: the files of the game go to a folder whose name starts with a dot, which EmulationStation ignores, and an M3U at the root of the system launches the game. EmulationStation then lists a single entry per game.

  • The option only acts on the systems marked M3U
  • It is enabled for ArkOS / dArkOS, where it was checked
  • On the target, the EmulationStation option that shows hidden files must stay off
  • It is useless for ES-DE, which shows hidden files by default, and for Cocoon, which reuses the ES-DE layout

Covers

  • Copy covers by default: starting value of the switch in the rebase window
  • Folder: relative to the system folder. If it contains the {system} marker, it starts from the root of the destination: ES-DE/downloaded_media/{system}/covers
  • Suffix: added to the name of the game, -image gives Alundra-image.png
  • Max width, Max height: maximum size in pixels. 0 keeps the original size

Metadata

Metadata file Written Read by
EmulationStation (gamelist.xml) In each system folder ArkOS, dArkOS, RetroPie, Batocera, Knulli
ES-DE / Cocoon (gamelist.xml) In ES-DE/gamelists, at the root of the destination ES-DE, Cocoon import
Onion / Spruce (miyoogamelist.xml) In each system folder Onion, Spruce
Pegasus (metadata.pegasus.txt) In each system folder Pegasus
Logiqx (.dat) In each system folder Daijisho, ROM managers

Generated by default is the starting value of the switch in the rebase window.

Systems

A system missing from the table is skipped during the rebase.

Systems table sorted by name

In this screenshot, a conversion to CHD was added to the Dreamcast row. No default architecture turns one on.

Column Role
RomStation system The list only offers the systems not set up yet. A click on the header sorts by name, a second click reverses the order, a third one returns to the file order
Target folder The folder name on the destination: psx, snes, PS…
Keep name Romset: the archive keeps its name, is never extracted and gets no M3U. Turn it on for arcade, Neo-Geo, Naomi, Atomiswave
M3U The emulator of the target reads playlists: the discs of a game are gathered in a .m3u
Extract The emulator of the target cannot read the archives of this system: the game is extracted
Conversion The external tool that converts the games of this system, or None

An M3U cannot point to zip files. A system marked M3U must also be marked Extract, or converted.

Creating your own architecture

  1. In the editor, select the architecture closest to your target
  2. Duplicate, then give it a label
  3. Adjust the target folders, remove the systems you do not need, set covers and metadata
  4. Save

The architecture shows up right away in the rebase window.

The files

Open architectures folder opens %LOCALAPPDATA%\RomStationRebase\architectures:

  • index.json: the list of architectures and their general settings
  • <identifier>.json: the systems table of one architecture

A row of the systems table looks like this:

{ "romStationSystem": "Dreamcast", "targetFolder": "dreamcast", "m3u": true, "extract": true, "transform": "chdman_createcd_default" }

romStationSystem is the exact name of the system in RomStation. keepFileName, m3u, extract and transform match the Keep name, M3U, Extract and Conversion columns. transform holds the identifier of the external tool.

RomStation system names

Exact names, to use in romStationSystem:

Playstation, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, PSP, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo 64, GameBoy, GameBoy Color, GameBoy Advance, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, NES, Super Nintendo, Megadrive, Mega-CD, Saturn, 32X, Game Gear, Master System, Neo-Geo, Neo-Geo CD, Arcade, Dreamcast, PC Engine, PC Engine CD, Nintendo Switch, DOS, Windows, Naomi, Atomiswave, Model 2, Model 3

RomStation Rebase

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